The Zell Saga
by DarkmanUK
Summary: KH, FF7, FF8, FF10, Original - Tells the story of Zell, a boy with mysterious origins who holds the fate of all within the palm of his hand...
1. The Sleeper Awakes

PART ONE - The Sleeper Awakes  
  
The old man stood at the entrance to the square, his cloak shaking gently in the rain. Before him was a great statue wrought of Obsidian, retaining the very essence of the old world. Quite literally in fact. Yet this great marvel was not his goal, despite its beauty. The abomination must be destroyed at all costs - he remembered the King telling him this, yet still the words echoed around in his head.  
  
From where he was, the so-called abomination lay in a heap by the statue, asleep and badly bruised. It was only a boy, a small little boy - he certainly did not look like something to be afraid of, and as the king would not go into any further detail, he remained doubtful of his mission. Yet orders were orders, and so he drew his sword.  
  
At first nothing happened as the blade lay motionless in the grip of his muscular arms, but soon the dim light of the moon began to catch the edge, and as it did so the blade grew hotter in his arms, lighting up. The pain was almost unbearable, but as he had complained before - the weapon was not made for one like him, but for another who had not been so lucky as to have survived to this end, to this fateful era.  
  
The blade finally gave in and a great beam of light entered the square from the dark sky, causing the whole area to appear as in day. The boy did as the King said he would - he rose from his position and began to scream with pain, shaking around the square in agony. Yet he made no attempt to harm the boy - was he really an enemy? As the old man raised his sword and ran forward to deliver a blow to the boy, the child was engulfed in a cloud of darkness.  
  
-------  
  
Far from the world of the Old Man and the Obsidian statue, there was once a town of great prosperity and good will, a safe haven against the heartless. There, people from all worlds gathered to make a stand against the evil of Darkness, and in their efforts they were aided by the Champion of Light, the Keybearer. He came to them as if he was waking up from a dream, his own world of islands. In a small alley he was welcomed by a slobbering dog and a few dustbins, while all around people ignored him. His companions, I believe, did not care for him, not at first anyway - but for the key. They were wrong of course, and look where it got them in the end! Ah, but yes. you have yet to see what lies beyond the door, guarded by the protégé of darkness and his minions. Yet all is not lost, however, as you shall see. The hopes of entire worlds rest on a young boy of around ten, who, on one late evening woke up among some dustbins down a small alleyway, not far from where a certain fourteen year old boy would wake up but four years later. And his name? Not even I know that, not now nor ever. Such is the fate of those without hearts.  
  
-------  
  
Behind the once busy and prospering Bar of the First District, a tramp lay in an alleyway, staring at a door and muttering jumbled words under his breath.  
  
'Mwushuflle,' he said, glaring at some bins beside the door. They said nothing.  
  
'I said, Mwushuflle!' Again, silence.  
  
'MWUSHUFLLE!' he boomed, throwing his can of baked beans at the door. Almost as if in response, the bins shook violently from side to side, causing surrounding litter to fly away into a gale of wind.  
  
'Hello?' asked the bins cautiously. The old man smirked triumphantly, and nodded his head slowly. He had the good for nothing bins just where he wanted them.  
  
'Mwushuflle' said the old man, sitting up straight.  
  
'What?' responded the bins, shaking a little.  
  
'Can't yer understan' me?' he laughed.  
  
'I don't know who you are or where I am, but there was this man and he -'  
  
'Yer should ner! Ye stole it!'  
  
'Stole what? I don't really understand what's going on.'  
  
'ME 'ART!' the old man screamed, suddenly growing tall and dark. His white hair and beard became jet black in a number of seconds, as did his skin. His eyes bulged and writhed in their sockets, becoming a bright and flashing yellow.  
  
The boy emerged from behind the bins, his arms shaking. The man was no longer human, but some kind of monstrosity, a dark shadow of his former being. It approached him slowly, aware of the boy's presence with twitching antennae. Yet the boy did not move. He just closed his eyes tightly, not knowing what would happen if the shadow reached him, touched him, and he wasn't sure that he cared.  
  
One who knows nothing can understand noth-  
  
Nothing happened for what seemed like an eternity. And then, completely unexpected, he felt a hand fall upon his shoulder.  
  
'It's okay,' said a deep voice. 'They won't bother you again.'  
  
The boy opened his eyes to see a tall man in front of him, staring at the bins.  
  
'Who are you?' asked the boy, eyeing the sword by the man's side.  
  
The man grunted, and slung his sword behind his back. 'The name's Sq.' he said, pausing. 'You can call me Leon'  
  
-------  
  
'So,' said Leon, pacing up and down the room. 'Where do you come from?'  
  
The boy opened his mouth to speak, and then changed his mind. 'I don't know,' he said.  
  
'You can't remember?'  
  
'No, I. Er. Yeah, probably.'  
  
'I see.'  
  
'All I remember is waking up, and then this old man attacked me.'  
  
'The shadow?'  
  
'Yes, I mean no. It was in another place, in a pavillion. The sky was dark, it must have been night, and I woke up to find myself lying near this statue. And then a man attacked me.'  
  
'What did he look like?'  
  
'He. I can't remember, but his sword.' The boy's eyes darted towards the sword in the corner, and then focused once again on Leon.  
  
'What about it?'  
  
'It looked just like yours.'  
  
'What,' said Leon, holding up his blade, 'this gunblade?'  
  
'Yeah, that's the one.'  
  
'Impossible' said Leon, scratching his temple. 'I was the only one to make it out.'  
  
'Out of what?'  
  
'Never you mind. Anyway, you still haven't told me a name.'  
  
'I don't have one.'  
  
'Well we'll have to give you one then. Would Zell be alright?'  
  
'Zell. that's a weird name.'  
  
'You just look like this guy I knew once. Anyway, do you know why that heartless was attacking you?'  
  
'Heartless?' asked the newly named Zell. 'What's a heartless?'  
  
And to his amazement, Leon laughed.  
  
'Come on. We had better get going.'  
  
-------  
  
I See, and thus do I learn. Yet most beings do not See, they merely watch, which is what makes the essential difference between one with a heart and one without. Emotions blind you from truely Seeing, and so is not a heart merely a burden in the quest for knowledge?  
  
At this moment, I See a boy laying down to sleep in a small house located in the Third District of Traverse Town. Near him, a mercenary places his blade on a silver table, breathing heavily. Yet the mercenary is not important, not yet anyway. His time will come soon enough. But the boy, he matters in the grand scheme of things, for both the Darkness and the Light. He has Seen. He therefore learns.  
  
But now he merely sleeps and dreams of Another Side, another story lost to his weakened mind yet bound tightly to his invincible Heart.  
  
I would just as easily See the dreams of that child as I might wield a Keyblade, but of course such things are beyond me. So for these passing moments I am content with merely watching from my cloud of impenetrable darkness, remembering yet another time and another story lost to me.  
  
-------  
  
He was floating through darkness itself. Zell could feel its tendrils rubbing against his soft skin, invading the fabric of his being, and yet he was helpless to stop it. He almost invited it.  
  
And then there was light, a blinding beam from above. The darkness parted from him immediately, revealing a stained glass platform below him.  
  
'Hello?' asked Zell, looking around. 'Anyone there?'  
  
Three platforms emerged from the platform, each shining with its own inner brilliance. As Zell glided down to meet it, he saw another below.  
  
'Hello? Can you hear me?'  
  
The boy ignored him, continuing on his course. He was a teenager, around 14 or 15, Zell would have guessed, with spiky brown hair and odd clothes.  
  
He glided down through the air (or what he guessed was air) until he was directly in front of the boy. Yet still, the newcomer looked ahead as if Zell wasn't there. He kept walking, until he passed through Zell as if he was a ghost. Neither said anything.  
  
The boy then stared around, looking at the platforms. As if obeying his commands, three weapons appeared in a flash of light. A sword, a shield and a staff. He ran forward to the centre platform, and suddenly all melted away from Zell, the boy included, as he fell desperately through the shining light towards the eternal darkness.  
  
-------  
  
'The Heartless are beings born of the darkness from people's hearts,' said Leon, closing the door. 'And there is darkness in every heart.'  
  
The woman in the pink dress nodded, turning to meet Zell's gaze. 'That's why when the Heartless came, everything changed.'  
  
'Do you remember much about your world?' asked Zell. She nodded slowly, but said nothing.  
  
'This is Aerith, by the way,' said Leon, finally sitting. He said nothing for the few minutes that followed, and then spoke. 'Do you really. remember nothing?'  
  
'No,' said Zell, bowing his head. Aerith put her gentle hand on his shoulder, and sighed.  
  
'I do remember a little, Zell, that I can tell you. Do you remember what Squall said abou-'  
  
'My name is Leon'  
  
'Yes, of course. Anyway, he said that there is darkness in every heart, but in some there is much more. Are you following?'  
  
'So far'  
  
'And as even small amounts of darkness would attract the Heartless, imagine what an ocean of darkness would do. It all began with a broken roof in a slum Church.'  
  
Aerith spoke for what seemed like millenia, detailing an epic struggle between good and evil. Zell found himself unable to concentrate, but from what he could remember from her story, people in her world were after her. Unable to defend herself, she was protected by a soldier, a man named Cloud. He aided her with the help of others, including the pilot Cid and ninja Yuffie (who he was yet to meet, added Squall) and eventually they escaped to discover a great darkness in the world- a man named Sephiroth. In his darkness he had attained such knowledge and power that he nearly brought about the end of the world, but in the very end Cloud and the others repelled the darkness and Sephiroth was banished to some unknown realm. But it was too late, it seemed, as the immense magical force involved in doing so and the darkness of the man's heart had already attracted immense numbers of heartless, and they were forced to flee from the destruction of their world.  
  
'But what happened to Cloud?' asked Zell, staring at her. She sighed, her eyes watering.  
  
'We don't know. He may have died in the destruction of our world - but we escaped through the expertise of our pilot Cid. We came across a red moon, swarming with heartless, but on it we found Leon and a few others.'  
  
'But they didn't make it,' said Leon, turning his back to them. 'But we won't make the same mistakes again.'  
  
'Why are you telling me all this?'  
  
'So you know what others have gone through to be here today. So you know that, although you are here now, there were others who cared for you enough to send you here.'  
  
'How was I sent here?'  
  
'We don't know,' said a gruff voice from the doorway. An old man had entered without anyone noticing.  
  
'And I don't really give a damn, quite honestly. Name's Cid, by the way.' The man held out a dirty hand for the boy to shake. He reached forward, and nearly touched the man's thick skin. But in that moment, a scream echoed out from not so far away.  
  
'Come on,' said Leon, grabbing his gunblade. 'We got work to do.'  
  
-------  
  
Once outside, the group saw a woman in the square below them, weeping. Zell looked at her, and was immediately transfixed. she was so beautiful. They ran down to see what was wrong, and that was when she got up from the floor, revealing her dazzling face and perfect blonde hair.  
  
'Is there a problem?' asked Aerith, obviously the only one unaffected.  
  
The woman wiped away a tear, and sighed. 'There.,' she said, shaking. 'There w-was a m-m-man and t-t-this thing attacked him and h-h-he vanished.' She pointed to a door, and burst into tears.  
  
All the time, Zell watched her, ignoring both what she and the others were saying. He was, however, doing more than watch. He was trying to See.  
  
At first, the young boy only saw her beautiful, unblemished skin. But slowly, her face began to crack, turning a light green. Her small and gentle hands grew long and thin, sprouting horrible black fingernails. Her white dress changed as well, turning black and shredded, with a kind of double horned hat growing behind the woman's head. At the end of it all, he swore he had seen a witch, if there were such things. And then, to Zell's astonishment, he noticed Leon walking towards the door she was pointing at.  
  
'No Leon! Don't do what she says!' screamed Zell, running forward. Leon shrugged his shoulders, and kept moving. All seemed lost for a few seconds, and Zell was sure that Leon would do what the witch said and walk through the door, to the other side. and then, he paused, turning his head back slightly.  
  
'Leon! She's not what she looks like! She's a Wit-' As Zell spoke, he felt claws dig into his shoulder. He turned to see a smiling woman, returned to her normal appearance.  
  
'A Witch? How ridiculous! Now please, walk through the door,' said the woman smiling. Leon again shrugged, and kept walking. As his hand was on the knob, the woman screamed once more, causing Leon to jump and turn round. The face of the woman was burning, turning pitch black and falling off, to reveal the true face of the woman. All over this change happened, until the form that he had Seen was in plain view.  
  
'Maleficent,' said Leon, drawing his gunblade.  
  
'You recognise me? How touching!' said the witch, grabbing hold of her staff and glancing over at Zell. 'And who is this child?' she asked, smiling.  
  
'Never you mind, Maleficent. He's with us,' said Cid from behind, growling with menace.  
  
'Oh really? Well, that will end soon enough. He stinks of potential, this one.'  
  
'What do you mean?' asked Zell, drawing closer to her.  
  
'You Saw me as I truly was,' said the witch, laughing. 'I know others that can do that. Do you know what they're called? Heartle-'  
  
'That's enough, Maleficent,' came a new voice, a girl's voice. He turned to see a ninja, holding some kind of spike. He guessed it was Yuffie, the 'amazing ninja'.  
  
'Very well,' she said, nodding her head to Zell. She disappeared in a cloud of darkness, leaving Zell and his companions alone in the moonlight of Traverse Town.  
  
-------  
  
Zell dodged the gunblade as he rolled to once side, letting Leon run past. He got up, and ran towards the door. yet suddenly, as he was just a few meters from opening it, he felt arms grip his sides, and a sword in front of his neck.  
  
'Pay attention,' said Leon, releasing Zell. 'It could save your life one day.'  
  
Zell broke free of his grip, and turned around angrily. 'You still haven't told me what the witch meant. What's the point of training like this if I don't even know what I'm fighting?'  
  
'I don't know. And quite frankly, even if I did I wouldn't tell you. You're not ready.'  
  
Leon began to walk away, and an angry shout came from the boy behind him.  
  
'Is this how you treated the first Zell?' shouted the boy angrily, running towards Leon. 'If you did, no wonder he died.'  
  
There was an awkward silence for a few seconds as Leon whirled around, his blade drawn, and was only interrupted by Zell's fast breathing. And then the warrior began to walk towards Zell, the gunblade pointed at him.  
  
'No wait, I didn't mean it. I'm sure you were a great friend,' said Zell, walking backwards. Leon said nothing, only continuing forward to the boy.  
  
'Please, no. You're not like this. You're good.' Again, Leon said nothing. He was only a few feet away now.  
  
'No.' whimpered Zell, his voice rising. 'Yuffie! Aerith! Cid! Somebody!'  
  
And then, Leon stopped right in front of the boy. But he was not looking at Zell.  
  
'You,' said Leon, with a hint of menace. Zell turned round to see a man there, a blonde haired man. He bore a large red scar on one cheek, and yet more minor cuts on his other.  
  
'Yes, me Squall. Are you ready?' said the man, drawing a blade similar to Leon's.  
  
'Don't call me that. Its Leon now, Seifer.'  
  
'I wonder what Rinoa would say if she heard you disowning your name, too afraid to speak it. But then again, you have good reason, don't you? You're the reason our world was -'  
  
'Zell,' said Leon, keeping his eyes locked on Seifer. 'Is he real?'  
  
The words of the two men drifted in and out of Zell's mind, eventually silenced. He Saw into the newcomer, but only saw him as he was. Whoever this man was, he was not in disguise.  
  
'Yes, he's as he looks. It's okay Leo-'  
  
See deeper. See into his heart, and there lies understanding.  
  
Zell concentrated hard, but saw nothing. The man remained the same.  
  
Its too hard, thought Zell. I can't. do it.  
  
Meanwhile, as Zell concentrated, the two men had come to blows, their gunblades drawn. Leon ran forward to deliver a blow, but Seifer let out a stream of fire.  
  
'Just like old times, hey, Squall.' The man laughed.  
  
Open your heart. Open your heart to darkness.  
  
In the split second after Zell heard the voice in his head, he did indeed contemplate letting darkness into his heart. and then he decided not to. But the split-second of desire was enough. Almost at once, a thin veil of darkness opened up around the boy, blinding him. And then the veil disappeared. He at first saw the scene of two men fighting, and then they both changed. One. into a noble lion, leaping for its prey. The other. a wretched gargoyle, burning with darkness.  
  
And Zell wanted to call out, wanted to warn that this man had the power of darkness. Yet he could not. because part of him wanted to keep silent, to let Seifer win. At first this desire was merely small, unnoticeable. but then it grew, swallowing him whole. Literally.  
  
While the two adversaries fought, the small boy from the Obsidian Square disappeared in a cloud of darkness, unnoticed by the world and uncared for.  
  
But that, as all things do, will change. 


	2. See into the Heart

PART TWO - See into the Heart  
  
Was it always. like this? I can't remember, so many things forgotten.  
  
Can you hear me?  
  
Darkness, all around me. I can't see anymore, my heart is lost.  
  
Sora, come quick.  
  
Or is it? I feel. something within me. Something invincible.  
  
Wait, I think he's waking up.  
  
The light. I'm beginning to see. There are. shapes moving above me, looking down on me. I feel. wet.  
  
'Are you alright?' said one of the shapes, a teenage boy. Another stood near him, slightly shorter. and a girl behind them all.  
  
'I. Where am I?' I said, trying to get up. I found I could not.  
  
'That doesn't matter' said the girl, pushing in front of the two boys. 'Does anywhere hurt?'  
  
I felt. nothing through the darkness, alone. Except, there was something, something in my heart. It was something so simple, yet so powerful. The face of the one who named me.  
  
'Leon.' I said, slowly passing out. The last thing I saw on that beach was a spiky, brown haired teenage boy lean down over me, his face full of concern. And then I fell asleep, dreaming of a dark obsidian square, slowly filling with light.  
  
-------  
  
Don't forget. He is the one who will open the door.  
  
Zell awoke slowly to find himself in darkness. He looked all around, but could not see a glimmer of light.  
  
'No. Not again.' he whimpered, trying to get up. Yet he could not move, despite his consistent efforts to get up or even to roll off the bed. However, within a few moments a lamp flicked on nearby, revealing a small bedroom. A boy sat at a desk opposite him, writing something. He did not seem to have heard Zell's whimpers. He almost decided to speak, to let the boy know he was awake, but he decided to have a little look around the room first.  
  
On the walls opposite him were a collection of badly-drawn cartoons and strange posters. Some showed the boy fighting monsters in a distant land, while others showed a load of bodies drenched in fake blood. Yet the majority of pictures showed the boy playing with a girl and a boy, running off to distant lands and places. Where though, wondered Zell, trying to get up but failing. Where could he go?  
  
To the Kingdom. To the door.  
  
'Where is it though?' asked Zell, his voice growing louder. 'What is on the other side?'  
  
'I didn't hear you wake up' came a voice from near the bed. The boy was walking towards him, his white hair shaking gently.  
  
'No. I just got up now.'  
  
'Bad dream?' asked the boy, losing interest quickly.  
  
'Something like that. Anyway, where is this place?'  
  
'What? You don't come from here?' His face lit up with attention.  
  
'No. I. Don't know where I come from.'  
  
The boy laughed, and stepped back a little. 'You're just like her. Holding back.'  
  
'Just like who?' asked Zell, again trying to move.  
  
'Just a girl I know. Anyway, I'm Riku.' The boy held out a hand for Zell to shake, but he did nothing.  
  
'Sorry. I can't move. I'm Zell, by the way.'  
  
'Nice to meet you,' he said, walking to his desk. There was silence for a little while, and then Riku turned his head slightly in Zell's direction. 'Are you sure you don't remember. Anything? Anything at all?'  
  
'No. Sorry to disappoint you.'  
  
But Zell knew he was lying. Of course he could not remember where he had come from, who he really was. But he did remember a few details, however vague they seemed. There was the warrior, Leon. He named him, taught him how to fight. There was. a witch. She tried to kill them all and kidnap Zell, but he had Seen through her. And Aerith, the woman in the pink dress. She told him of.  
  
'The Heartless,' said Zell, finally getting up. The boy spun round, and almost hit Zell in his excitement.  
  
'What did you say?' said Riku, shaking Zell.  
  
'Nothing. It doesn't mean nothing.'  
  
'No. You said it. You named them. What are they?'  
  
'I really didn't mean a thing by -'  
  
'I see them. In my dreams at night, the witch shows me them. I know she doesn't care for me, nor do they. But they're my only way out, you understand? I need. to get out!'  
  
'What's going on?' came a voice from the doorway. Both of the boys turned to see a girl, the girl from the beech, glaring at the two of them.  
  
'Calm down Riku. He's only just got better.' Riku was almost strangling Zell in his excitement. He looked a little embarrassed, and then let go of him.  
  
'Sorry. it was just something he said.' Riku scratched his neck, and then shrugged his shoulders.  
  
'Well, anyway. I just came by to tell you that Sora got some more stuff for the raft. We're going to go to the island tomorrow and get some more supplies. You wanna come?'  
  
'Sure. How about Zell here? Can he?' Riku looked at first happy, but Zell could see a brief flicker of something else, something darker.  
  
'I don't know. He's only just got here.'  
  
'Oh come on,' said Zell, standing up. 'I'm better now. I'll help, I promise. Anyway, I haven't met this Sora yet. Is he a friend of yours?'  
  
'He was on the beach,' said the girl, sighing. 'I'm Kairi by the way. Anyway, I'll see you both tomorrow.'  
  
And with that Kairi left. Riku turned and watched Zell carefully for a little while, examining his expression. Zell only stared back.  
  
'Well, goodnight' said Riku, leaving the room and Zell to darkness. However, Zell was not scared anymore. He was excited, though. The boy from the beach.  
  
The one who will open the door.  
  
-------  
  
'Wait, slow down!' said Zell, trying desperately to keep up with the man before him.  
  
'Can't keep up with an old man like me?' the man laughed, destroying a swarm of shadows with his long blade. 'Hurry up. You may not be a boy anymore, but you can still go faster than that.'  
  
'I can't' whimpered Zell, turning his head. Behind him he could see the warrior, running after them.  
  
'We can't let him have it, Sora. Its more important than my life, your life, or even Leon's life. He died to save it from my blade, yet it must be destroyed. Don't you see that?'  
  
Zell shook his head, cutting down some shadows with his Keyblade. 'What do you mean Leon died? I don't remember you telling me that.'  
  
'It's not important! I told you!' The man ran forward up to a boulder and leapt over it with ease.  
  
'Why are you being so heartless Cloud? I remember you fighting me twenty years ago, in Olympus. You weren't so cocky then.'  
  
'Very funny, Sora. Hurry up. Cids ready with the airship, all we have to do is get there in ti-'  
  
The old man never finished his sentence. In a flash of darkness, he was killed in his stride by a bolt of energy from the One Winged Angel that pursued them.  
  
'Cloud!' screamed Zell, turning to face the man. 'N-'  
  
------  
  
'NO!' screamed Zell, jumping out of his bed. It was morning. He sighed with relief and went to the window, where he could see the boy from last night, Riku, down on the path below the house, talking to another boy. He got dressed quickly, hoping to catch them before they left.  
  
It was not that he liked Riku, nor was it that he wanted to help them make their raft. To be honest, something about Riku frightened Zell, something about his heart. It wasn't what he had said the night before that made him think this. it was just what he saw in Riku. He saw. nothing.  
  
He finished getting changed and ran down the stairs, slamming the door on his way out. The two boys were outside, chatting quietly as Zell walked up to them.  
  
'Oh, Sora, I almost forgot. This is Zell,' said Riku, smiling at the new arrival. Again, Zell didn't like this smile at all. It seemed far too eager, far too powerful.  
  
'The boy from the beach?' said Sora, swinging round to get a good look at Zell. He smiled as well, but not at all like Riku. He saw into his heart immediately, but did not see what he expected to see. He saw a girl.  
  
'Yeah, hi,' said Zell, scratching his neck. Sora nodded and grinned again.  
  
'So, where you from?' he asked, looking interested. But his interest was only a fraction of what Riku's was. Zell said nothing. 'You know, where you grew up?'  
  
But Zell wasn't thinking about what Sora was saying, nor was he thinking about the emptiness in Riku's heart. Something wasn't right, something was happening in another world, another place. Something important.  
  
'I. er.' Zell began to sweat. Sora and Riku both moved their heads closer, trying to hear what he was saying. His heart began to beat louder, his skin growing hotter. A thousand screams echoed around his mind, causing him to shout in pain. And then he heard a voice in the back of his heart. A slow, calm, powerful voice.  
  
You. are from the Great Heart, the prodigy, the one who will open the -  
  
'Door,' said Zell. And then he disappeared.  
  
-------  
  
'What. is this place?' asked Zell, walking down the cave tunnel. He had awoken there just a few minutes earlier to find his clothes soaking wet and dusty, just beside a pile of sharp rocks. He did not know how he had gotten there, but it had not been the first time something like that had happened. He was beginning to see a pattern. Arriving at Riku's island, escaping the strange man from the square. it had all been in darkness. And as Leon had told him, there is darkness in every heart.  
  
He soon arrived at the end of the track, at a large stone wall, adorned with markings and symbols. A glowing blue sphere was set into the middle. As he edged forward to pick it up from its place, he heard footsteps from the way he had arrived. Zell quickly ran to the side, and hid in a crack in the rockwall.  
  
Nothing happened for a while, but he was sure people would come. And they did. First came a large man, or what he thought might be a man - it looked more like some kind of cat-human, with blue fir and sharp teeth. Next came a woman and a man, standing side by side. One of them held a doll in her hand, of a strange yellow bird. The man held a blue ball.  
  
Finally, there came a young woman. Unlike the others, she carried no weapon, nor did she have anything unusual about her. She wore a white top and blue dress, and held a long staff in her hand, one like a dancer might have. Inside her, Zell saw a bird, a swan, beautiful to look at but dangerous if backed into a corner. He could see no darkness in that heart. It belonged also with another, he could tell, as when a man came soon behind her, the swan within her raised its wings.  
  
'Yuna, it's time' said the man with the ball, calling her towards the door. The man who was loved by her went forward, and tried to take the sphere from the door. Nothing happened.  
  
'Stand back,' said Yuna, raising her staff. A bolt of white energy came forward, and hit the sphere. Again, nothing happened. Finally, the woman with the doll said a few words, and the whole cavern shook. The door did not move, but the rocks concealing Zell did as he fell out from his hiding place. The blue warrior ran forward and grabbed him, causing the group to turn to meet his gaze.  
  
He just smiled nervously and said 'Er, hi guys.'  
  
-------  
  
'Would you mind letting me down now?' asked Zell, beginning to sweat. The warrior threw him down, and walked away down the passage.  
  
'My name's Wakka' said the man with the ball, spinning it round. 'Nice to meet you. Don't mind Kimhari over there, he's just learnt the fiend's way of fighting.'  
  
'I'm Zell,' said the boy, walking over to the door. He turned round to see the group staring at him, trying to figure him out. He too was trying to figure things out, but not in the same way. Cloud, the man in his dream, needed help, otherwise something terrible would happen. Something that could not happen at all costs. He had something, something that the heartless needed to win their war, but which they could not get. yet one man could. The one winged angel.  
  
Wakka through him the ball and Zell caught it, holding it between his hands. 'What's a fiend?'  
  
Their expressions changed quickly to a mixture of disbelief and wonder. The woman in the black dress stepped forward, and spoke.  
  
'You don't know what fiends are?' she asked, and he nodded. 'Then you really are clueless. Maybe even more so than Tidus over here.'  
  
Tidus got up from the corner, and smiled. 'I resent that, Lulu. Anyway, fiends are just your average monsters, stuff like that. Got it?' Zell nodded. 'Good. So, where are you from? Can't be from where these guys are, as if you don't know what fiends are then you definitely won't know who Si- '  
  
'That's enough Tidus. Let him tell us about himself.' said Lulu, who sat back against the rocks. Tidus nodded reluctantly and did the same.  
  
Zell wasn't sure if he could trust these people. Their hearts, they were all strong, but he had only just met them. Then again, he was sure that they were important, or at least they would be soon. He was on another world, and judging by their reaction to his coming they didn't know about the other worlds, the other realms and kingdoms. He would tell the truth, he was sure, but only a little of it.  
  
'It all began with my amnesia. I couldn't remember who I was, where I came from or who my family were. I was lost. And then, someone found me. Someone helped me. His name was Leon.'  
  
Zell talked for a long time about his adventures, filling in the gaps with made-up fables and adventures, making it believable. As he was talking, however, the door drew his attention. Something was behind it, something important. He could feel its energy drawing him, almost calling him. and he was sure he was not alone. The heartless would not be far, as they were on all worlds. Trying to steal the hearts of worlds, trying to.  
  
Consumate the great heart, protégé of darkness.  
  
'How can I?' asked Zell. The group looked confused all of a sudden, and he realised that he had not talked for a while. 'Well, that's my story. Anyway, what's with the door?'  
  
Yuna got up, and walked towards it. 'I am. on a pilgrimage. Your amnesia, I am sure that you got it from Sin, the great devourer of Spira. I am a summoner, and so my duty is to battle Sin and make a Calm world, at least for a little while. Behind that door lies an aeon, or so the locals believe. One of great power, one that will not relent to conventional approach. We don't know how to get there.'  
  
'There are also these weird fiends that keep attacking us, ya? You remember, those little dark creatures,' said Wakka. Yuna nodded.  
  
'Recently, the fiends of this world have been multiplying at great rates, and people have been going missing. We think it might be to do with Sin, but then again these new fiends, not even our aeons can defeat them.'  
  
'Are you not telling us something Zell?' asked Tidus, staring intently at the boy. 'You look like you know more about this than you're letting on. What are those fiends? Where do they come from?'  
  
'They are. heartless,' said Zell, deciding to give in. He could trust them, he was sure of it. 'Shadows, dark spirits who have lost their hearts. I think. that they're after what is behind that door.'  
  
'The aeon?' asked Lulu. Zell shook his head, looking down.  
  
'No, the heart of your world.'  
  
-------- 'So these things. they want to destroy the world?' asked Lulu, getting up. Zell nodded. 'Well how can we stop them if we can't hurt them?'  
  
'I don't know. there is a weapon that can stop them, a boy with the power. but he won't make it here in time. It can be done though, I am sure of it. Though if this Sin creature is as big as you say it is, and as powerful, they'll go for it first.'  
  
'That's a good thing, right? Having Sin gone?' asked Tidus.  
  
'No. What is left of Sin, the darkness in its heart, will become a heartless. Which will not be a good thing.'  
  
'So what should we do then, Yuna? If he doesn't know how to defeat them, what can we do?' asked Wakka, spinning his ball around.  
  
Yuna called them all to leave the cave, so she could talk to them outside. She was the leader here, Zell knew, so she would be the one to make their decision.  
  
'Guardians, I thank you for your help as friends and as protectors on our journey to defeat Sin. However, now there is a greater enemy, one that could mean the end of not only this world, but of all worlds. And this we must defeat. If our hearts our strong, and our courage is great, I really think we can beat this thing, I really think that we can all trust ourselves to pull this through and save the wor-'  
  
And those were the last words Yuna ever spoke. Through her chest came the edge of a long blade, which was quickly withdrawn from behind. Yuna was dead. She fell to the ground with a thud, revealing a hooded man behind them, holding a long blade. He withdrew his disguise, revealing the one winged angel.  
  
'YUNA!' screamed Tidus, and he would have run forward if his companions had not held him back. They were all shocked and upset, as was Zell, but they retained their minds. And their hearts.  
  
Zell was the only one to step forward, not flinching as he stared the warrior in the face. Memories came from the back of his mind, thoughts that were not his but memories of someone else, a long time ago.  
  
'Sephiroth,' said Zell, drawing the sword that had been given to him by Leon. It was dwarfed by the blade of his enemy, but Sephiroth did not laugh.  
  
'That is I,' he said, stepping backwards. 'You. are the protégé' There was not a trace of emotion within him. The man had no heart, quite literally. He was beyond that.  
  
'I am Zell,' he said, holding his sword up high. Sephiroth laughed mechanically, and raised his sword as well.  
  
'So it is true that one like us may gain a heart,' he said, looking intently at Zell. 'Or perhaps not. We will see soon enough. Shall we?'  
  
'Of course,' said Zell, and he ran forward to cross blades with his enemy. Yet he knew they were not fighting with swords. They were fighting with darkness.  
  
------  
  
There is darkness in every heart. I know this now, after my years of study. The heartless prey upon it, and thus are they complete. Yet kingdom hearts is not darkness, as I had once thought. This boy, this supposed abomination, is the proof. Born of darkness, he became complete and his heart grew with the light of those he loved. Kingdom hearts is light. But it is too late for I, Ansem, keeper of darkness, who am beyond such things. I must merely watch and hope he prevails, that he saves us all. Because he has that power.  
  
I watch him now, not as an observor but as a supporter. He fights bravely against the one-winged angel, he blocks his moves and tries to attack him. Yet it is too much. Pinned to the ground, Sephiroth nearly kills him but at the last moment he rolls away with the realisation he will not win. He runs over to Tidus, the one made of dreams, and whispers something in the man's ear. He then turns round and faces Sephiroth again, this time with renewed vigour. Something is different, yet he cannot win. He is pinned to the ground once more, and as Sephiroth's sword comes pounding down the boy disappears not in a cloud of darkness, but a cloud of light.  
  
Tidus then runs over to him, screaming with tears. Sephiroth dodges his blows easily, and then kills him, throwing him into the air. Kimhari runs from behind too, pulling him down to the ground will Wakka leaps atop him, trying to defeat him. Yet he pulls away with ease and vanquishes Kimhari with a blast of fire, then turning it round on Wakka. The only one left is Lulu, who has fallen to the ground with tears. She can do nothing. He walks up slowly, laughing, and stabs her through the heart. The fate of that world is now sealed, and so I leave to try and find the one who will open the...  
  
-------  
  
'Where am I?' asked Zell, looking around. They were in complete darkness, broken only by the shape of the chairs they sat on, a table in between.  
  
'The world in-between' said Ansem, rising from his chair. 'Yet that is not important. Do you remember fighting the Heartless angel?'  
  
'Sephiroth?'  
  
'Yes, he was that person once. Do you remember meeting the Leonhart, and falling into darkness?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'Do you remember the obsidian statue?'  
  
'What's that?'  
  
Ansem bowed his head, and sat back down. He sighed. 'It is as I expected then. This will not be easy to tell you. Are you ready?'  
  
Zell looked confused, and got up. 'You're. a heartless aren't you? You're darkness. How can I trust you?'  
  
'It is indeed true that you can See. This confirms my thoughts. Do not worry, for the moment I will not and cannot hurt you. But that will change.'  
  
'Why do you want to help me? How did I get here?'  
  
'So many questions, yet they are not important. I will answer them none the less, as time does not matter here. You are in the world-in-between, as I said before. You must know to understand, as knowledge is the key to understanding.'  
  
Zell nodded.  
  
'Good. This may be hard for you to understand, but the past three worlds that you have visited were not in the sequence of normal time. You have passed beyond that. For instance, the gap between Traverse Town and the Destiny Islands was a total of five years, while the third world, Spira, was one thousand years into the future. You follow this?'  
  
Zell nodded again, clearly unperturbed.  
  
'You also have the ability to See hearts. Only a few possess this skill, most often the darkest beings imaginable, such as myself. You, on the other hand, are an exception. However, one thing you have not yet done is look into your own heart. There lies understanding of the true situation. Yet first, will you allow me to tell you more?'  
  
'Of course.'  
  
'I cannot tell you who you are, or where you came from, although I know. You must find out those things for yourself. What I will tell you is about the Obsidian Square. This you will remember in time soon enough, but keep in your mind - the statue must not be allowed to exist. It is wrong. However, its essence is tied to your own, so destroying it will mean your death. This in turn means that you are the only one who can do it.'  
  
'What statue? What do you mean essence?'  
  
'You will see soon enough. Remember also, although it is not part of your story, you have one other task remaining. Find the talisman and return it to the kingdom. Sephiroth must not get it.'  
  
'Why are you helping me? Who are you? I've got so many questions running around my head, its driving me insane.'  
  
'I am Ansem, keeper of Darkness. Yet not for now. If you are successful, I will continue to be so, yet it is a necessary sacrifice. In turn I will forget what has happened here. Go now, look into your own heart and see your true meaning.'  
  
Zell put his head down, and saw into himself. Nothing happened at first, and then pain ran down his spine. He fell to the ground, and into a deep sleep.  
  
Left on the ground nearby him, where Ansem had sat, were a pile of old bones.  
  
-----  
  
Sleeper, open your eyes. Awake.  
  
There was once a town of great prosperity and good will, a safe haven against the heartless. There, people from all world gathered to make a stand against the Darkness, and in their efforts they were championed by the Keybearer. He came to them as if waking from a dream, his own world of islands. In a small alley he was welcomed by a slobbering dog and a few dustbins, while all around people ignored him, and thus did he die, killed by the blade of his enemy. The hopes of entire worlds rest upon a young boy of around ten, who, on one late evening woke up among some dustbins down a small alleyway, not far from where a certain fourteen year old boy would wake up four years later. And his name?  
  
Riku.  
  
-------  
  
'No,' said Zell, watching himself wake up to see the old man from up above. 'I. can't be him. I. can't be.'  
  
The scene before him went away quickly, fading in a cloud of darkness. Zell flew with it, gliding high into the sky, with innumerable worlds passing below. Each taken by the heartless, each about to return to the great heart, the greatest world, the.  
  
'Kingdom Hearts,' said Zell. He saw it below him now, a huge door in the midst of nothingness. There, he could feel the great white energy, the goodness within. and the despair. The misery. The Darkness.  
  
Ansem was below him, fighting the keybearer and his companions. If he was Riku, why couldn't he remember any of this? Why didn't he know who Sora was?  
  
Because you aren't him. Look deeper. Dive into the heart.  
  
Zell flew past the battle, past the great door of all worlds. He was within the kingdom, the heart. Heartless swarmed all around him, resting among the walls of the heart. He saw other shapes as well, in the distance. A red lion, hurt and wounded. A small boy in a wizards hat and blue clothing. They were all here, trapped. They shouldn't be, he could feel it. Yet some of the others, this was their home. a great King struggled against the door, fighting off heartless with his blade. He had no body, he was merely a heart. As was Riku, who aided him below.  
  
And then the door opened, and the cave shook with light, obliterating the heartless within. Yet the darkness was not gone. No sooner had Riku bordered near the door had several darkside emerged, trying to escape. There was something somewhere, the source of all the heartless. Yet not of the darkness.  
  
Riku struggled to close the door, as did the keybearer on the other side. But it was no use. The darkside continued along towards the door, almost alongside Mickey. The king fought valiantly with his keyblade, but fell beneath the darkness, his heart vanquished for the meantime. As did Riku, who had not a single chance. With a final effort, Sora and his companions ran forward, but the heartless brushed him to one side, almost killing him. As they were about to deliver the final blow, Zell spoke.  
  
'No.'  
  
The darkside turned round, and then retreated back into the kingdom in a cloud of darkness, taking the keybearer away to another world with his friends. 


	3. When dreaming ends

PART THREE - When Dreaming Ends.  
  
'How did I. do that? Who am I?!'  
  
One who knows nothing can understand nothing.  
  
'Tell me!! Please, tell me who I am!'  
  
The source of all the heartless.  
  
'Please, I need to know..'  
  
He looks. just like you.  
  
Without realising it, the scene before Zell had changed. He was in a market, in a crowded world. There were many people in the square, moving around in their daily business. One in particular caught his eye. a boy. A boy of four, walking down the road with his mother. They walked dressed in black, towards a temple at the end of the world.  
  
'We're going to see the summoner,' said the woman, presumably his mother. The boy nodded, wiping away a tear.  
  
'Do you know why?' she asked.  
  
'For father,' replied the boy. They entered the temple, and Zell followed.  
  
Within was a coffin, with a dead man resting on top. He died of a heart attack, Zell could tell, but he did not know why. He was this boy's father, he left him alone in the world to fend for himself. It made him angry, angry at everything.  
  
Another woman entered, wearing ceremonial dress and holding a staff. The summoner. She walked over to the body, and began to dance. It was beautiful to look at. and sad. Small flickers of light emerged to the body, travelling off somewhere in the wind. He knew where. the kingdom hearts. The light in this man's heart was emerging, and travelling to the kingdom, leaving the darkness behind. He was going to heaven. Yet he doubted the boy knew this. he was upset and slightly angry, too much so for his age.  
  
The boy got up and ran over to the summoner, snatching her staff from her.  
  
'The ritual is not complete. give it back, and then I can finish it.' Said the summoner.  
  
'No,' said the boy. 'No, he won't die. I'm going to bring him back.'  
  
'John, you can't bring him back. He's gone.'  
  
John. that name is familiar, is it not?  
  
'I can. And I will.'  
  
John held the staff and shook it from side to side, aiming it at the man. It began to glow black, the opposite of white hot metal. And then total darkness. Tendrils emerged from the end. How could this boy hold such power at such an age? How could he do it?  
  
Because its not him. he has been possessed.  
  
Yes, that was true. The darkness flew out like a spirit, filling the room, and bringing the dead man up to full height. His eyes opened, normal white.  
  
'Please. John. not like this.' said the man, in a very soft voice.  
  
John smiled, working harder. 'Don't worry. you're going to come back to me.'  
  
And then his eyes turned yellow, his skin black. He was beginning to lose his human appearance, growing smaller and stunted, total darkness. He had become a shadow, and something told Zell that it was the first of its kind.  
  
The boy John looked aghast, and walked backwards, clearly upset. The darkness fell from his completely, flying away in the wind. Yet the summoner did not see it like that. She saw darkness incarnate.  
  
What would they do with the little boy, wondered Zell. What would become of him? He knew as soon as he thought of the question. He would be imprisoned, sent away. He would lose all that he loved. and meanwhile, the heartless would spread. Slow at first, the shadows would devour the world, all because of the actions of that boy, John. He had the power to destroy the heartless, no doubt, using the summoner's staff and his own energy. yet he could not live without them. Part of them had gone into him, and they could not destroy him either. The heartless, once they had destroyed that world, would go on to imprison the heart of the boy in a place that no-one could get to, that would feed the heartless and allow them to multiply. In an obsidian statue.  
  
Yet what did this have to do with him? Why was he seeing this?  
  
'You still haven't answered my question. Who am I?'  
  
'Zell. You are Zell.'  
  
Zell turned around to see a little boy standing by the entrance to the square. It was John, or at least his heart.  
  
'How can I be? That name was given to me.'  
  
'And thus you became that person.' The boy nodded.  
  
'Who was I before I was Zell? Where did I come from?'  
  
'You expect me to have all the answers,' said the boy, sighing. 'Yet you know them already. You are Zell.'  
  
'I know that already. Yet where did I come from?'  
  
'You came from nowhere in particular, Zell.'  
  
'What do you mean nowhere? What does this all mean?.'  
  
'Well, the most accurate answer would probably be 42,' said John, laughing.  
  
'What's so funny?'  
  
'Ah, never mind. A joke from a world far from here. Anyway, as I have shown you, I created the heartless through my own ignorance and emotions, here on this world. I am now imprisoned within that statue you see over there.'  
  
'Ansem said that it was wrong, that it should be destroyed.'  
  
'And he was right. As long as that exists, so will I.'  
  
'But aren't you the only one who can defeat the darkness? Aren't you the only one who can defeat the heartless?'  
  
'There may be others who can do the same, others who can fight the darkness. For me to escape my prison would mean the destruction of not just darkness, but of light. And that would mean the end of everything. Do you understand?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'But it can't remain there, or Kingdom Hearts itself will be destroyed. The heartless, feeding upon the darkness within this world and others, aspire to bring all hearts to one. But they are ultimately controlled by Baell.'  
  
'Who's he?'  
  
'It would like to be known as darkness incarnate, yet that would not be true. It is the spirit that possessed me that day, as it will have done elsewhere at other times to other hearts. It has existed as long as kingdom hearts, and despises it, for it has no heart. But it remains within this statue, within me, and can do nothing. Yet soon, because of the talisman, he will be able to escape, destroying the kingdom. If you destroy the statue, he may well survive, but without my power. And that is acceptable.'  
  
'What talisman? Why is this so confusing.'  
  
'You saw it once, in a dream I showed you. a dream of the future, of the keybearer and his friend Cloud. They bore the talisman away from the one winged angel, Sephiroth, the servant of both darkness and Baell. With the talisman he can bring about the ultimate darkness and merge with the spirit of Baell, bringing an end to Kingdom Hearts and bringing us to what he calls 'the promised land'.'  
  
'What does the talisman do?'  
  
'It in itself is meant for someone else, for another story. Yet its awesome power can unlock this statue like a key, freeing what is within.'  
  
'And. what about Riku? What is he to do with me?'  
  
'The shell of that boy's heart, the body, was taken to the other side, neither of darkness or light. I used that shell to make you, Zell. Do you know what you have to do?'  
  
Zell bowed his head for a few moments, in thought.  
  
'Ansem said that if I destroy the statue, I will die. why?'  
  
'Because you were made from nowhere. You were made by me, to complete this task. And as you were made by my dream, my death will mean your own.'  
  
Zell didn't know why, but it all made perfect sense. And he felt no remorse or emotion about it. For the first time, he knew what he had to do. He had to destroy the statue, and with it this spirit. He ran towards the statue, and as he touched it he disappeared for the final time, arriving in another world.  
  
------  
  
The heartless raged around the city, attacking the once populated Traverse Town and killing its remaining inhabitants. The very ground was now cracked, the cobblestones and paving torn up after years of war. They had finally broken into the Citadel at the heart of the city, the Citadel which had become the home to most of the surviving humans from numerous worlds.  
  
Among the debris of the old town, the first district to be more precise, two warriors leapt amongst buildings, cutting down the heartless as they went.  
  
'Wait, slow down!' said Sora, trying desperately to keep up with the man before him.  
  
'Can't keep up with an old man like me?' the man laughed, destroying a swarm of shadows with his long blade. 'Hurry up. You may not be a boy anymore, but you can still go faster than that.'  
  
'I can't' whimpered Sora, turning his head. Behind him he could see the warrior, running after them.  
  
'We can't let him have it, Sora. Its more important than my life, your life, or even Leon's life. He died to save it from my blade, yet it must be destroyed. Don't you see that?'  
  
Sora shook his head, cutting down some shadows with his Keyblade. 'What do you mean Leon died? I don't remember you telling me that.'  
  
'It's not important! I told you!' The man ran forward up to a boulder and leapt over it with ease.  
  
'Why are you being so heartless Cloud? I remember you fighting me twenty years ago, in Olympus. You weren't so cocky then.'  
  
'Very funny, Sora. Hurry up. Cids ready with the airship, all we have to do is get there in ti-'  
  
A bolt of energy came from behind Cloud, towards them both, rotating with enormous power. Sora turned to see it just in time, and moved out of the way, but Cloud did not... it continued on towards him, almost touching his armour... but it never did.  
  
'No' said a voice from behind the two, a powerful yet quiet voice. Sora could not believe his eyes. The bolt of energy had stopped in mid air, freezing. Behind them both, he could see Sephiroth, the source of the weapon... and a boy. A young boy. Cloud turned, and saw them as well.  
  
'Sephiroth,' said Cloud. His opponent nodded, turning towards the boy.  
  
'Well done,' he said, smiling. 'You are here.'  
  
Zell nodded, and they both drew weapons.  
  
'Wait... what does he have to do with this? Fight me instead!' said Cloud.  
  
'He has everything to do with this,' said Sephiroth, and he ran forward, as did Zell and Cloud.  
  
They all reached the center point of the district at the same time, all clashing swords... but Sephiroth pulled free first, slashing his long blade round at Cloud, puncturing his lungs with its tip. He fell to the ground, leaving Zell facing Sephiroth.  
  
The Angel bent down to Cloud's corpse, and examined it, searching for something. He looked angry.  
  
'Where is it? Where has the idiot hidden it?'  
  
He looked over at Zell, who smiled.  
  
'Tell me! Tell me or I will cut you down.'  
  
Zell shook his head, continuing to smile.  
  
'Then let us fight,' he said, running forward to hack Zell down.  
  
-----  
  
Sephiroth... didn't know what had happened. Something, something fundamental had changed within him during his duel with Zell. As they crossed their silver blades with murderous intent and battled amongst thousands of heartless, he began to feel a slight twinge within him, something he mistook at first for a sickness. But it was something else, something that transcended the body. It was... his heart.  
  
It was impossible he knew. Long since he had ascended to Kingdom Hearts he had lost his heart, becoming one with the Divine Heart of all Worlds. Yet there it was plain before him. His heart... was beating. But how could this be? He did not know the answers, he could not know them, this is what angered Sephiroth. An emotion that he had not felt for quite some time... anger. And regret for his anger. So many questions swirled around his mind, all wanting to be answered while all remained silent...  
  
'And now for the end,' said Zell, standing up above him. Sephiroth was lying on the ground now, his head bloody and his hair tainted with redness. His beloved blade had fallen from his hand. The abomination that stood above him, he would kill him now... but why? What was the need? His heart... that changed everything. He tried to speak out as Zell brought down his murderous blade towards his heart, he tried to tell him to stop... yet he was paralysed. He could not move. It was his end. As his heart was punctured and blood began to pour from his open chest, he staggered slowly away, towards his blade. It was not over, it couldn't be over, he had not done everything he had done to die from the wound of a small boy... had he?  
  
As the sun set upon the once proud city of Traverse Town, the once feared One Winged Angel died upon the steps of the first district, crawling towards his weapon and muttering words under his breath. His last, perhaps the most meaningful.  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
-------  
  
Zell turned and fled towards Sora, his cloak shaking in the darkness.  
  
'Where is the talisman? There isn't much time.'  
  
Sora shook his head, staring at the fallen Cloud. 'The. ship.'  
  
'Where? Where is this airship?'  
  
Sora turned and pointed towards a door, a massive door. 'Do. I know you?'  
  
'Once, perhaps, but you wouldn't remember,' he said, running away. 'Good luck'  
  
2.  
  
Zell was aboard the ship, the engine rumbling in the background as it got going. He could hear a man swearing and ranting in the cockpit, and a gentle voice trying to soothe him. He walked forward, and opened the door.  
  
'Hello,' said Zell. Cid and Aerith turned to see him, and such was their surprise that Cid's cigar fell right out of his hands.  
  
'Zell?' said Aerith, looking astonished.  
  
'Where's Leon? Is he here?'  
  
'You. are alive?'  
  
'Of course I am, I'm right here. So, where's leon?'  
  
'You don't understand,' said Cid, getting up. 'We saw you die, killed by Cloud. Why wouldn't you give it to him? Why didn't you give him the talisman?'  
  
'I don't have any talisman' said Zell, shaking his head. 'And what do you mean, killed? When was I killed?'  
  
'A few days ago. Leon tried to protect you, but.'  
  
'He's dead?' asked Zell, sitting down.  
  
'Exactly. Which begs the question - how can you be alive?' Cid struck a match and lit his cigar. 'And why are you so young? You were at least twenty when you died.'  
  
'I can't explain' said Zell, getting up. 'But you have to trust me. I need you to take me somewhere, somewhere hard to get to.'  
  
'Can't you teleport there? We've seen you do it before.'  
  
'No, not to this place. I need to go to.'  
  
'The End of the World,' said a voice from behind them. Zell turned to see Tidus, smiling behind them.  
  
-----  
  
A world that is not a world, a gateway to the darkness that lies beneath all reality. Like the web of a spider it catches its prey, changing them and ruining them into beings beyond comprehension. As a small gummi ship flies above in the dark void of the sky, thousands upon thousands of heartless rear up their heads to look. They senses that the time was coming for change.  
  
And so did their Master.  
  
-------  
  
Cid and Aerith watched while Tidus and Zell walked on up ahead to scout out their path. The kid had gotten so far, knowing the darkness within him and yet fighting it. Through death, through grief, through war and in the midst of confusion, he had kept true to his path from the very beginning. And he was to be commended for it.  
  
Cid smiled, through his cigar of the floor, and launched the ship, leaving Tidus and Zell alone in the darkness of the End of the World.  
  
--------  
  
Zell and Tidus walked in silence for a while, both not wanting to be the first to speak. They did not discuss the thing on their minds just then, but before the end, when they were trapped behind the door and shapes approached in the darkness, Zell whispered what he had wanted to say, and Tidus replied 'Through the love of a friend,' and would say no more.  
  
For now, however, they just walked, feeling the floor beneath them but just seeing darkness. Not just the absence of light, the degradation of it. This whole place stank of its filth. Tidus was the first to hear the Gummi Ship take off, the first to see their only hope and escape disappearing off into the depths of space. Zell had attempted to go back, but it was no use. They had been deserted before the end. And who could blame them? The heartless were stronger than ever before, darkness seemed to swallow the lands, and all hope lay in the destruction of the statue. What was it anyway? What was it that seemed to contain the spirits of darkness and light together? Was that Kingdom Hearts? Was that the true reality of the world?  
  
Zell stood there for a few moments, looking up into the sky, and then ran to catch up with Tidus.  
  
Within the darkness just a few feet away, stood a man in a black hood and cloak. A few moments later he was gone from that world, and where he had stood before a red mark was left within the darkness.  
  
------  
  
Zell and Tidus walked on, unable to see where they were going and not caring. All around them, dark yellow eyes flickered and danced as if in anticipation. Past the fallen ruins of the world-pattern they walked, the keyholes of each world long since fallen into darkness. Beyond there was a ray of red light falling into the depths of the heartless world, and there Zell knew that their fate would be decided. How could he go on knowing what would happen to him if he was successful, what would happen to both of them?  
  
'Well here we are,' said Tidus, walking forward. 'Are you ready?'  
  
Zell knew that he wouldn't have another go at this, that if he wasn't successful then everything that has ever been will be undone. He knew that even if they won then they wouldn't escape with their lives, certainly not Tidus. He was dooming not just himself but both of them  
  
'As I'll ever be,' said Zell, and they both walked forward into the red flame. Zell emerged on the other side, right before the door of Kingdom Hearts. He gazed up in wonder, and stepped forward. He felt the power of the kingdom before him, all of the endless hearts of those taken by the darkness over the years. He glanced back towards the Talisman, and realised that his destiny was not to destroy the statue, but to save it. He could use its power against the darkness and continue to live, bringing back whoever he chose. He could bring back Leon.  
  
He advanced forward to the Door to Darkness, and as he did so it began to open very slightly, with tendrils of darkness escaping from its sides. Zell touched the edge of the door, and the spell was temporarily lifted. Would he save the statue and live, or destroy it and die? Life or death? Salvation or damnation?  
  
Zell pulled the door open and entered, and it was not until a few moments later that he wondered where Tidus was.  
  
----  
  
The door snapped shut almost as soon as it had been opened, leaving Zell alone in the darkness, and in a flash of light the talisman within his hand disappeared.  
  
Eyes began to open in the darkness around Zell, sensing his presence.  
  
--What's happened to me?  
  
A few metres away an enormous darkside emerged from its sleep.  
  
--Why can't this all just end happily?  
  
The heartless were a little closer now, edging forward and relishing the moment of their victory.  
  
--What about me?  
  
Worlds away, the darkness took the heart of Traverse Town  
  
--I didn't ask for this!  
  
A great beast called Sin defeated the Summoner Yuna.  
  
--and neither did anyone else...  
  
Zell heard a noise from far away, the distant shouting of someone for help. It was Tidus. If he couldn't save himself, then the least he could do was to give everyone else the chance.  
  
'I'm coming!' shouted Zell, and began to wade through the darkness. The yellow eyes within it began to retreat and scatter, as if afraid of him. Ahead of him he could see the shape of Tidus, somehow illuminated within this dark place. The heartless were all around him, edging forward. Zell didn't care if he had to fight on his hands and knees - Tidus gave up his life once for Zell, and if need be he'd return the favour.  
  
Zell began to run, and the heartless fled from him as if he was death incarnate. The remaining few scattered as soon as they saw him, their dim yellow eyes beholding him as a dark shape illuminated with a red flame.  
  
Tidus opened his mouth to speak, but Zell shook his head. 'I chose the door as well. We failed our test.'  
  
'Don't be so sure,' said Tidus.  
  
A door before them both had just appeared, and within their hearts both knew that those who made it to the other side would not be returning.  
  
---  
  
Zell began to approach the door, but Tidus remained behind.  
  
'Are you coming?' he asked, knowing the answer before he even said it.  
  
Tidus smiled, and shook his head. 'The door is for you, not for me. Whatever part in this I had, its now over.'  
  
'What will happen to you now? Do you know how to get back?'  
  
'No, but it won't matter. My fate, your fate, everyone's fate depends on you. If kingdom hearts is destroyed, all worlds will diminish with it. No more darkness or light. Only nothingness.'  
  
'I would have stayed with you to the end, you do know that, don't you? You know that whatever happens, you probably won't see Spira again?'  
  
'I know. And it doesn't matter. Now go. Go for all our sakes.'  
  
Zell waved goodbye, and turned to run towards the door. As he approached it, he felt rain hit his skin. He could see the night beyond the door, the all powerful darkness. And in a twisted way, he felt akin to it. With a final leap, he passed through the light of the door, and fell from the sky of a world far from where Tidus lay in the darkness, far from Traverse Town and even far from the Destiny Islands. He landed bruised and hurt next to the statue of the Obsidian Square.  
  
----  
  
Zell looked around, and in a flash of intuition remembered. He remembered his father dying, and the spirit taking him and forcing him to resurrect him. He remembered allowing the heartless to take hold of not just his world, but all worlds. While he remembered being John, he also remembered being another. He remembered the island, and trying to make a raft. He remembered Kiari and his rivalry with Sora. He remembered the witch Maleficent, and his possession by Ansem. He remembered dying, and passing away to the other side. He held the memories of both John and Riku, and also of his creation. He remembered a pain so great it felt like being torn apart from inside, he remembered being spat out from the statue like vomit, falling onto the cold paving beside the statue.  
  
He looked up to see a Gummi Ship landing in the distance, and at once all became clear to him. He put on the Talisman round his neck, and with a silent prayer to all those he had ever met, even those who had fallen to darkness, he smashed the talisman's centre. As the Spirit of Baell was released from the statue and attempted to possess the young boy, Zell held onto the memory of Leon giving him a name and befriending him.  
  
As the owner of the Gummi Ship walked slowly through the city towards the Square, about half a mile from his destination, Zell fell unconcious upon the floor of the square, and thus began the battle for control of Zell's body and mind.  
  
-----  
  
WHO ARE YOU? said the great dark shape before him, approaching slowly yet steadily within his mind.  
  
I'm Zell, he said, And you're Baell, right?  
  
YOU WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE, GIVE ME FORM  
  
Alright, said Zell, and the darkness took shape. It took the form of a giant beast within the darkness, something that Zell was sure he could not defeat. Something that Zell had thought of on purpose.  
  
As Zell grappled with Ifrit/Baell, the gummi-ship's owner had nearly reached his destination.  
  
-----  
  
WHY DO YOU FIGHT? PLEASE EXPLAIN  
  
I fight for them.  
  
WHY? YOU WILL DIE EVEN IF YOU ACHIEVE YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME.  
  
I fight for everyone.  
  
YOUR VERY NATURE IS DARKNESS. YOUR HEART IS WEAK, ONLY THERE BECAUSE OF A PATHETIC NAME THAT A FALLEN WARRIOR GAVE YOU.  
  
I fight for him.  
  
DARKNESS IS THE TRUE NATURE OF THE HEART. I AM THE TRUE NATURE OF THE HEART.  
  
Then finish it. Show us all your power.  
  
Zell felt the presence of the visitor within the square, and lept upon the beast Ifrit. Within the caverns of Zell's mind they grappled, both locked in terms of force and power. Zell knew he could not continue for much longer, however, and the part of him that was not fighting looked out at the Square.  
  
------  
  
The old man Tidus stood at the entrance to the square, his cloak shaking gently in the rain. If his old friend Auron had been next to him, the resemblance would have been very striking indeed. Before him was a great statue wrought of Obsidian, retaining the very essence of the old world. Quite literally in fact. Darkness had taken even King Mickey's castle, and in its destruction he had sent Tidus on his quest. It had been thirty years since Zell had died in the darkness of kingdom hearts, and the talisman had been lost. The great marvel before him was not his goal, despite its beauty. The abomination must be destroyed at all costs - he remembered the King telling him this, yet still the words echoed around in his head.  
  
From where he was, the so-called abomination lay in a heap by the statue, asleep and badly bruised. It was only a boy, a small little boy - he certainly did not look like something to be afraid of, and as the king would not go into any further detail, he remained doubtful of his mission. In a strange way, looking at him conjured up memories of Zell running through a door of light, but he dismissed the vision quickly. There had been no door. Zell had been killed by heartless and he himself had only just made it out. This boy who reminded him of Zell apparently was their last hope, and must be killed. He was doubtful, but orders were orders, and so he drew his sword.  
  
At first nothing happened as the blade lay motionless in the grip of his muscular arms, but soon the dim light of the moon began to catch the edge, and as it did so the blade grew hotter in his arms, lighting up. The pain was almost unbearable, but as he had complained before - the weapon was not made for one like him, but was the Gunblade of Leon, passed down along the years until it had ended up in the hands of Tidus, had survived even to this fateful era.  
  
The blade finally gave in and a great beam of light entered the square from the dark sky, causing the whole area to appear as in day. The boy did as the King said he would - he rose from his position and began to scream with pain, shaking around the square in agony. Yet he made no attempt to harm the boy - was he really an enemy? As the old man raised his sword and ran forward to deliver a blow to the boy, the child dodged it and threw Tidus back with a bolt of Darkness. He let out another scream, and in a bloodcurdling voice said - 'GIVE IN NOW OR YOU WILL DIE'. Tidus replied that he could not, although the boy ignored him. He placed his hands against his head and fell again.  
  
'I fight for them I fight for them I fight for them I fight for them,' he repeated again and again, almost holding himself down on the floor of the square. With renewed vigour, Tidus ran forward again to cut him down in his moment of weekness. 'KINGDOM HEARTS IS DARKNESS. ALL ARE BORN INTO DARKNESS AND SO ALL MUST RETURN.' screamed the child, and rolled out of the way.  
  
'I fight for Leon!' he boomed, and once again attempted to hold himself down on the ground. Tidus ran forward again, doubtful once more. Who was this child who avoided him and spoke of Leon and Darkness? Who was he? As he tried to cut him again, the boy disappeared in darkness, and appeared once more at the other end of the square.  
  
'LET ME ESCAPE. LIVE IN DARKNESS OR DO NOT LIVE AT ALL. YOU ARE THE PROTEGE OF DARKNESS. ACCEPT YOUR FATE.'  
  
'I fight for the kingdom' screamed the child, and ran forward madly towards Tidus. The old warrior held out his sword, and swung it as the child came upon him. Even as the blade cut through his centre, his heart, the boy screamed 'I fight for the light!', and in the split second that followed Tidus realised that the boy was Zell, and he had murdered him. Overcome with emotion, Tidus through his sword down in disgust and ran from the square.  
  
--------  
  
Within the caverns of his mind, the darkness finally defeated Zell, consuming him with dark flame.  
  
--------  
  
Zell/Baell lay screaming upon the floor of the square, alive and yet at the same moment dead. Thick, black blood ran from his/its heart where he/it had been punctured by the gunblade, and the undeath of the boy/thing would not last for long.  
  
The statue not three metres from the writhing creature/boy was suddenly fulled with a corona of fire, and light erupted from the sky. The heartless around the world evaporated within it, unable to stand the force of its rays. It was more than just light, it was the complete and utter absence of darkness, it was Light.  
  
The creature screamed out again, the shell of the boy it inhabited failing. All that was left was the dark spirit within. It moved to inhabit the statue nearby, but the obsidian was falling apart, the light causing it to crack. It tried to possess Tidus, but he lay dead under a fallen building nearby, beyond the reach of darkness. With a primal scream that would be familiar to all those taken by the dark over the years, to all those that had ever been the victims of evil or malice, to all those who had chosen the darkness as a way of life, the spirit of Baell was pulled apart by the overwhelming rays of light, and his darkness was no more, lost to both the kingdom and all the worlds that had ever been.  
  
Soon after the dark heart of that world was finally consumed by the light, and fragments of it spread out throughout the cosmos in the form of a meteor-shower, or perhaps a rain of 'gummi blocks'.  
  
Far away, the world of Traverse Town suffered a similar explosion, the heartless within it evaporating instantly. Nearby Wonderland, the Colliseum, and even Destiny Islands exploded in similar rays of light, the darkness leaving them and the world falling apart. All worlds that had ever been, ever are, or ever will be fell apart, the rain of light filling the darkness of the skies with a spectacular display of light.  
  
Near the vicinity of where the obsidian statue had once been, the spirit of John struggled to keep itself together. Soon it too would pass away, he knew, but he needed to finish what he had started. Crying out the names of those he had ever loved, his father among others, he allowed himself to be consumed by the light, his heart not passing to the kingdom but simply released, and its energy was great. The darkness within him struggled against the light, and in a titanic explosion the Kingdom itself passed from existance, causing all the darkness and light that had ever been to merge with the cosmos in a spectular display that no-one except one would ever be lucky enough to see.  
  
Soon enough, however, the explosions ended, and the World was remade. Kingdom Hearts returned in its place, the balance between light and dark restored. All worlds returned in their rightful place, even the End of the World. The heartless reappeared within the kingdom, existing not because someone made them but simply because the balance required them. Within the light titanic blades were forged in opposition, Keys to both the darkness and the light, representing the power to destroy the world or to save it. People reappeared on each world, while those taken but remade temporarily, Spira among them, disappeared.  
  
The world had been remade, and its true form had been revealed. The balance had been restored, and Zell passed from existance. None of those he had saved remembered him or even knew that anything had happened, because in effect it hadn't. He had stopped the balance from being disturbed. Zell had won. They had won. Hope had been restored. 


	4. Epilogue The World Between

Epilogue - The World Between  
  
The cloaked man reappeared in the castle, and bowed down towards his master, the man from the Other Side.  
  
'What did you see?' he asked, smiling.  
  
'Everything that you said I'd see,' replied the cloaked man, still bowing.  
  
'Rise. The statue was destroyed, I hope?'  
  
'Indeed. Baell is gone. They all remember nothing.'  
  
'Excellent. He will pose no threat to our plans then.'  
  
'No. He won't.'  
  
'Very good. You may leave then and do whatever you wish. I have no further need for you... presently.'  
  
'I have one further question, or perhaps, an "observation", master,' said the man, drawing back his hood.  
  
'What is that?'  
  
'That boy, the one who restored the balance.'  
  
'Yes?  
  
'He looks just like me...' 


End file.
